A. D. 1772. 



5^» 



the negroes and Indians combined their forces, and after two obftinate 

 battles, faid to have been fupported on their fide with no lefs judgement 

 than bravery, they were obhged to give way to fuperior difcipline. The 

 Portuguefe are fuppofed to have loft feven thoufand people in this war, 

 which after all was not at an end. The fpirit of revolt was too widely 

 fpread among the numerous tribes of a vaft back country to be eafily 

 or quickly fubdued. The Spaniards made a new attempt to fettle upon 

 the ifland of Chlloe, near the coaft of Chili, that they might, like the 

 dog in the manger, prevent other European nations from reaping that 

 advantage from a friendly intercourfe with the independent Indians of 

 Chili, which the juft refentment of thofe brave people prevents them- 

 felves from enjoying. But their fruftrated attempt only ferved to raife 

 up a new confederacy againft the oppreflbrs of America among the Ind- 

 ian nations, who in great force attacked the mines, flaughtered all the 

 white people they found, and then laid fiege to Baldivia, of which, how- 

 ever, tney were only able to burn the fuburbs. But it may be remark- 

 ed, that our accounts of affairs fo remote, and fo jealoufly kept in ob- 

 fcurity, are far from being accurate. 



Mr. Swallow, in his periodical report, obferved, that in the courfe of 

 this year 237 Britifh veflels (whereof 100 for London), and 289 veffels 

 of all other nations, failed from Peterfbui-g. Their cargoes coniilled of 

 the ufual articles. 



Between the 5'" of December 1771 and the 5"" of December 1772 

 the following veflels pafled the Sound. 



Total. 



6,354 302 24 6,68a 



A new method of ftriking whales by a harpoon difcharged from a 

 fwivel gun was this year tried in the Greenland fifhery *. The fociety 

 of arts, dcfirous of encouraging every improvement in fo important a 

 filhery, gave a premium of twenty guineas to the inventor. 



The quantity of coals imported into London this year was 725,008 

 chaldrons, which greatly exceeded the importaticm of any former year. 



There belonged this year to all the ports 

 of England 7,635 veflels of the reputed burthen of 582,563 tuns, 



and of Scotland 1,567 _ _ - 91,890 



Total 9,262 



674.453 



• Mr. AnJerfon mentiuns fucli a gun being inrtnfcd in the ywr If^x. It might notwiililUoding 

 he really invented by the perfon who mjw brought it forward to public notice. , 



3X3 



